The Rams women's basketball program has seen an abundance of outstanding teams over the last decade, with many earning OUA medals and competing in national Final 8 tournaments. 

But the 2021-22 squad, led by Carly Clarke entering her ninth season as Rams head coach, may be the most talented and war-ready team the program has ever seen.

The 2019-20 season saw the Rams reach the finals of the OUA Critelli Cup and earn a place in the U SPORTS Final 8 for the second consecutive campaign. While that season may feel like a lifetime ago due to a cancelled 2020-21 season, the Rams still have the majority of the key players that propelled them to success in that 19-20 season, and the ones prior. 

Starting from behind the arc, the Rams welcome back the two best three-point shooters in the OUA last season, guard Marin Scotten and forward Rachel Farwell. Not only did Scotten and Farwell lead the OUA in three-point field-goals per game in 2019-20, they also led the league in field-goal percentage from deep. In basketball, it is merely unheard of that the leaders in these two statistics are the same players, which speaks to the quality of the shooting pair the Rams have. 

"I think we have a variety of offensive weapons," says Clarke when talking about Scotten and Farwell. She touched on those two and what other teams will struggle with against the Rams this season, adding, "we have more shooting around them, some creating and playmaking, so I'd say our ability and willingness to play the ball and play unselfishly."

In addition to these veteran shooters, the Rams are also happy to see the return of Stefanija Mrvaljevic and two-time OUA All-Star Jama Bin-Edward. Two pillars in the program, having both been Rams since 2017 along with Scotten, it is obvious Clarke won't have to look very far to find veteran leaders on this team when it matters most. 

"We're definitely leaning on their experience with their first three years with us and setting the tone and culture," she voices. 

"So far I've been impressed with how we're looking," shares Mrvaljevic. "Our team has changed a lot since we last played in March 2020, but we have a really great mix of new talent and older players with OUA/U SPORTS playing experience."

One player that falls into both the "new" and "experienced" category is two-time Atlantic University Sports (AUS) All-Star and graduate student Mikaela Dodig. 

Dodig played four seasons for the University of New Brunswick Reds, being named team MVP for her last two years. Dodig brings yet another scoring and veteran presence to the team.

"We're thrilled to get Mikaela," says Clarke. "She's an all around leader by example, a hard worker, and again has great experience in different situations. So yes, she's a big piece of what we're doing this year."

To add to the plethora of depth at the guard position, the Rams also added two NCAA Division I players in 2020 who will be playing their first OUA games this season. Tiya Misir from Long Island University and Kaillie Hall from Bowling Green University are both guards that can contribute to the program immediately. 

"She's one of many that bring a lot of different things to our team," expresses Clarke when asked about Hall. "Kaillie's a tremendous athlete, really adds pressure and intensity to our defence, and is great in our offence and transition game."

Hall spoke about the impact the previously mentioned veterans have had on her time settling in on the court as a Ram, saying, "I learn something new every time I step on the court with each of them which is extremely special."

With depth being a topic that both Mrvaljevic and Clarke brought up as the team's strength, it is clear that the Rams' defensive pressure and overwhelming amount of able scorers will be something they look to maximize against their opponents. 

"We believe in the strength of our depth," voices Clarke. "We have a luxury of being able to put out a variety of combinations on the floor, and we'll continue to do that and keep teams off balance while not having ourselves fatigued."

Despite the high expectations Clarke and the team put on themselves for this season, they are quick to remind themselves that it was not very long ago that they were unable to even play the sport they loved. 

"I think we have just been loving being together and playing basketball again," shares Mrvaljevic. "I think losing basketball because of COVID has really reminded us how much we love playing, so it's just been great being back."

"It was a long way to get here, so I think there's a lot of excitement to be back at it and just a lot of gratitude for the opportunity again," adds Clarke. 

After going undefeated in their preseason campaign, including a victory over the defending U SPORTS national champions, the Saskatchewan Huskies, the Rams suit up for their first OUA game of the season at the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Friday, November 5th against the Queen's Gaels at 6 p.m.

Fans can purchase tickets for all Rams home games this season, here. Ryerson students, staff, and faculty are free but still need to reserve a ticket in advance of arriving on game day. Utilize the access code RAMS to reserve your free ticket. Health and safety protocols are in place - more information is available at the ticketing website.